Convertible car.



C. LINDSAY.

CONVERTIBLE GAR.

Arrmouron Hum JUNns, 1910.

Patented NOV. 5, 1912.

g not only be loaded with extreme ease and" SOLOMON C. LINDSAY, OF GREENSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONVERTIBLE CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedNov. 5, 1912.

Application filed .Tune 9, 1910. Serial No. 565,980.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SOLOMON C. LINDSAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greensburg, in the county of lVestmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Convertible Car, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to convertible cars such as are used for carrying freight.

It is well recognized that difficulty 1s experienced in loading the ordinary box car with certain forms of freight. This difficulty arises principally from the shape, size and location of the doors, which are generally arranged at the sides of the car. Moreover, an equal amount of dliiiculty and loss of time is experienced in unloadlng the ordinary box car.

The object of the present invention 1s to provide a convertible freight car which can rapidit but which can be unloaded with the same facility.-

Further objects of the invention are generally to impro-ve and simplify the construction of freight cars, as well as to render them more efficient and practical in. use and to decrease the expense attending their manufacture and maintenance.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appearl as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and inthe details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made Within the scope of the claims Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specificatiom-Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section through the upper portion of a car provided with the improvements of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a partial longitudinal vertical section through the construction shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken O-n a plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

As shown in Fig. 1 the car of the present invention is constructed preferably 'with side studs or uprights 1 with which are connected in any suitable manner the side boards 2. Extending from the studs 1 on one side of porting members or plates 3.

the car to the studs 1 on the other side of the car, are a suitable number of vertically extending supporting members 3, shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Each of the supporting members or plates 3 preferably 1s curved from end to end as indicated in Fig. l so as to 'conform to the cross sectional sha e of the top of the car. Extending longitu inally of the car, and supported upon the different supporting members or roof beams 3 is the usual foot board 4. Each ofthe supporting members or roof beams 3, preferably, is

provided with four track-ways or guide members 5, 6, 7 -and 8, the guides 5 and 6 being on one side of the supporting members 3 and the guides 7 and 8 on the opposite sides thereof. Each of the guide members, 5, 6, 7, and 8 preferably consists of horizontally extending members, shown in Fig. 2, connected with or formed integral with the roof beam 3 and having at the outer edge thereof an upstanding or vertical flange which forms the outer wall of the guide member or trough shaped track-Way. Each of the track-ways'5, 6, 7 and 8 has journaled therein in any suitable manner a plurality of supporting rollers or anti-friction deviceslO, said rollers being preferably journaled in the supporting vmember 3 at. one end and in the vertically extending flangef the trackway at the other end. Mounted above the .upper track-ways 5 and 7 and supported on or formed integral with the member 3, are a pair of oppositely extending cover plates 11 and 12 each edge with a depending Harige 13. A similar depending flange 14 is provided on the lower surface of each of the track members 5 and 7.

Extending into each of the guide members or track-ways ,5, 6, 7 and' 8 is a door 16 which, in cross section, is curved to conform to the Vcurve of the roof` of the car. Each of the doors 16 is provided atits end edges with a depending flange 17 which prevents its withdrawal from the track-Way in which it is located. For the purpose of bracing each of the curved doors or sheets 16, a pair of T-irons 17 are connected with each of said doors, the irons 17 being curved in the same manner as the doors or sheets 16. Each of which is formed at its outer of the doors 16 is of such dimensions as to l extend from the edge of the car to the center thereof. In other words each of the doors 16 is capable of covering half of the section of the car between two of the sup- When'it is desired to close the car, the lowerdoor 16 of each pair of doors is thrown t-oone side of the car and the upper door 16 of the same pair is thrown to the other side of. the car. When it is desired to open the car, the two doors 16 may be thrown to either side of the car yas desired. For the purpose of forming a tight joint at the center of the car when the doors 16 are closed, the upper door of each set is provided at one end with a depending flange 18 and the lower door of each set is provided with an upstanding flange 19. When the two doors are swrung in opposite directions to closed position, the anges 18 and 19 contact with each other so as to produce a tight joint or seal. The depending flanges 13 and 14 of the supporting member 3, serve to produce tight joints at the side edges of the doors.

It will be obvious that with a car equipped from one end to the other with doors such as are indicated by 16, the operation of loading the car can be much more readily erformed than is possible with the old fashioned side doors.

What is claimed as new is- 1. A convertible car having a plurality of transversely movable arcuate roof' sections arranged in pairs, the sections of each pair constantly lapping above the center of the car, coperating means upon the lapping portions of the sections for limiting the movement of each section relative to the other section, and arcuate means engaging and supporting the arcuate end edges of the sections, said sections being mounted for independent movement along parallel paths.

2. A convertible car having transversely extending supporting members, upper andv lower channeled guides upon each face of each member, anti-friction devices supported within the channels, a plurality of transversely movable roof sections arranged in sets, the sections of each set being interposed between two of the supporting members and extending over the upper and lower guides respectively'supported between said members, the said sections being movable independent-ly along parallel.paths,`and depending means upon the sections and eX- tending into the channeled guides for holding the sections of the roof against lateral displacement, said depending means bearing downwardly on the anti-friction devices.

3. A convertible car having a plurality of transversely extending supporting members, an upper and a lower guide-way on each side 'ofl each of said supporting members, a iiange depending from the bottom of the upper guide member, a plate mounted above the upper guide member and having a depending flange, a curved door engaging each of said guide-members and having depending end flanges located inside of the guide members, an upstanding ange on the upper longitudinal edge of the lower door, and a depending flange on the'upper longitudinal edge of the upper door.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SOLOMON O. LINDSAY.

Vitnesses DAvm RYDER, J r., R. A. NATION.

. Qopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

